Resonator for examining the human voice.



S. WEBER-BELL.

RESONATOR POR BXAMINING THB HUMAN VOIOB. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1911.

1,028,] 65 Patented June 4, 1912.

Yconsist of tones PATENT @Fltlm SUSANNE WEBER-BELL, OF PLANEGG. NEARMUNICH, GERMANY.

RESONATOR FOR EXAMINING THE HUMAN VOICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June d, 19123.

Application led July 26, 1911. Serial No. 640,720.

.provements in Resonators for Examining the Human Voice; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The tone of the human voice in singing consists of an accumulation ofsimple airwaves (sinus waves), as in all tones known to the science ofacoustics. These simple waves are on the one hand the characteristiccomponents of the vowels, on the other hand (and this is the moreimportant point in singing) they consist of the following simple airwaves: 1, a definite, especially intensive wave, of which the periods ofoscillation are intended and defined in the notes of the music, andwhich gives the name to the note sung; physically this wave is calledthe fundamental tone. 2, Over this fundamental tone other waves areaccumulated as further components, designated physically as theover-tones of the fundamental tone; these give the note itscharacteristic coloring, for instance, the note may be sonorous, soft,thin, or shrill, etc. Now it has been determined by the analysis of thetones that when the human voice contains that characteristic qualityknown as fullness, the over-tones accompanying the fundamental tonestand in a definite relation to this overtone and forming the naturalsequence to this tone, that is to say, if the fundamental tone performsone vibration or wave in a certain unit of time, the next higherover-tone will perform two vibrations in the same time, the next fourand sol on. In other words, the overtones consist of waves having aperiodicity which is the multiple of the periodicity of the fundamentaltone, beginning with two. It must be remarked, that a fine, full voicecontains only thelower over-tones, while the higher over-tones aresuppressed; especially the first over-tone (octave) and the second(octave-fifth) are necessary and must be present in perfect pitch and'intensity.

In order to insure a regular formation of the voice it is necessary thatsinging master and pupil are personally able to examine their voices andto determine whether `the tone given forth contains above all the firstover-tone (octave) in sufficient power and of perfect pitch. Thiscan'only be attained with the help of physical accessory devices, sincethe ear cannot distinguish the overtones, on acount of the intensivesound of the characteristic tone.

'I he present invention relates to a device, which makes it possible toform the voweltone according to the mathematical theory and to examineaccurately its over-tones during singing and to ascertain whether theoctave tone is presentin the necessary fullness and strength.

The device consists of a specialfform of resonator or analysator inwhich a tuning- Y fork arranged on a sounding box and tuned to the samepitch is combined with a telephone receiver in such a manner, that thetuning-fork when vibrating periodically makes and breaks the circuit ofthe telephone receiver. rl`he sounding-box is the analysator, of whichthe tone may be .increased at will by the circuit of the telephone.

In the accompanying drawing a form of construction of the presentinvention is shown partly in section and partly in view.

On the resonator a, tuned to a certain pitch is arranged in perfectacoustic com bination a tuning-fork b, tuned to the same pitch, of whichthe one arm is provided with a contact e. @n one side of the soundingboxis arranged a support g, containing two terminal screws f, f', insulatedfrom each other, and a contact spring L, of which the contact piece z'is opposite to the above-mentioned contact e of the tuning-fork b. Theregulating-screw 7c completes the electrical connection betweenthespring h and the terminal screw j", while the terminal f is connectedto the tuning-fork by means of the wire Z. To the terminals f and f arefurther connected a battery m and a telephone receiver n.

'Ihe manner of working of the device is as ,followsz When a soundcontains as ,a component that tone to which the resonator a and thetuning-fork b are tuned the latter will be caused to vibrate and willmake contact between e and z', so that the person examining the soundcan hear said tone in the telephone, which is of especial importance inthe case of the shrill higher tones.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters. Patent is:

A device for analyzing the tones of the human voice comprising incombination, a sounding box, a tuning-fork mounted on said box providedwith an electrical contact on one of its forked members, an electriccircuit including a source of current and an ear receiver with one lineconnected With said' fork, and a contact connected with the other lineof said circuit and coacting with the fork contact to make and 15 breakcircuits upon vibration of the fork, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I' hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses. 20

SUSANNE WEBER-BELL. Witnesses:

ARTHUR V. W. COTTER, MATHILDE K. HELD.

